August 7, 2008

Walking the turtles

By pawlitico

I was kinda dog-napping when I looked up and saw an irresistible image on the 'puter screen. I had to put my paws up on dog-ma's lap to get a close look at tiny turtles on a table, with a sign saying "Healthy hatchlings $1 ea."

Little Cakes
The turtles turned out not to be real animals. No, they were tasty vegan cookies being sold at Little Cakes "Turtle Club" bake-sale benefit at a July NADA County Affair (that's the New Art Dealers Association in NYC).

Little Cakes' sales went to help with veterinary expenses for two turtles named Ichigo and Pan-kun.

You have to see their blog, called Ichigo the Turtle. Hanna Fushihara Aron, their rescuer, maintains the blog and takes care of the turtles. She's the nice NY artist who created the "Turtle Club" bake sale.

Ichigo came to Hanna and her husband, artist and musician David Aron, as a rescue. Ichigo has been through a lot, including surgery. And Hanna has been through a lot with Ichigo, including tube-syringe feeding.

Ichigo the Turtle
Hanna says that Ichigo's "a large female, around 10 inches long. She came to us with pneumonia and possible septicemia. We had to use our bathtub for her habitat as she is aquatic. . . . She still isn't basking in the tub, so I make sure she gets a good 45 minutes or so outside in the late morning so she fully dries out and gets her UV light. I keep saying I have to or I am 'walking the turtles,' which is pretty funny."

front door of Little Cakes gallery, 625 E. 6th St, Ny, NYWhen Hanna isn't turtle-walking, she's doing her art and also running the Little Cakes Little Gallery.

Hanna has been working on a 'humane wool' project with Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. She hopes to do more projects with nonprofit groups.

Woofin awesome! You know we like hearing about animal sanctuary projects 'cuz we're Humane California dogs.

If you're in New York, please call Hanna (646-342-1056) and get over to Little Cakes Little Gallery for a turtle walk!

Paw note: Learn more about rescuing and caring for turtles at the nationwide Turtle Homes Alliance and the Northern California Herpetological Society (NCHS).

Photo credits: Hanna Fushihara Aron

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